Has anyone made a parang out of o1 tool steel or cpm-s30v
Just want to know what your thoughts were on these steels for heavy chopping use
Just want to know what your thoughts were on these steels for heavy chopping use
Parang
- Thread starter Rickyd
- Start date
Ben Orford makes his parangs from O1
http://benandloisorford.com/knives/orford-eban-parang/
People have successfully used O1 for chopping knives. Longstrider used it for his Bladesport competition knife, for instance, but it is not naturally an impact resistant steel. If you were to use it, the heat treatment would have to be carefully performed, and would not be the same as that used for smaller knives...knock the hardness back and give it a spring temper back draw with a torch.
S30V was used for military style hard use knives when it first came out, but they had pretty thick edges so I am far from convinced that it would make a good wood cutter. I have seen S30V chip when taken thin. If it made good choppers, more people would use it, it has been around long enough.
That said, this chap has some interesting observations.
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/high-hardness-choppers.1406383/
http://benandloisorford.com/knives/orford-eban-parang/
People have successfully used O1 for chopping knives. Longstrider used it for his Bladesport competition knife, for instance, but it is not naturally an impact resistant steel. If you were to use it, the heat treatment would have to be carefully performed, and would not be the same as that used for smaller knives...knock the hardness back and give it a spring temper back draw with a torch.
S30V was used for military style hard use knives when it first came out, but they had pretty thick edges so I am far from convinced that it would make a good wood cutter. I have seen S30V chip when taken thin. If it made good choppers, more people would use it, it has been around long enough.
That said, this chap has some interesting observations.
http://www.bladeforums.com/threads/high-hardness-choppers.1406383/
Thinking of the thead whete Interceptorboy started a thread about a Bushcraft license, wonder how anybody could motivate the need for one of those babies?
Because it's a very useful tool in the woods I use mine a lot at home for clearing brush and processing the wood I find it better than a traditional bill hook style for me . Most of the ones I make and sell do go to work in jungles where they are a life line.
with selective quenching and tempering i found o1 is just fine for choppers? id be interested to know why you find it unsuitable?
i guess it is tradition. I prefer a billhook but my gardeners laugh at it and reach for a machete.
I would expect a machete /parang/billhook, with a steel at such a high heat treatment (60-65hc) To be an absolute pain to sharpen in the field.
I want my chopping tools, softer/stronger as apposed to harder/brittle, or at least more prone to chipping.
I think o1 would work. Possibly a differential heat treat, softer at the edge.
I definitely think a machete should bend, not snap.
I want my chopping tools, softer/stronger as apposed to harder/brittle, or at least more prone to chipping.
I think o1 would work. Possibly a differential heat treat, softer at the edge.
I definitely think a machete should bend, not snap.
I have a machete, which I bought only so I could prove to our Customs that my heritage sabres are less lethal than a machete available freely in Island. So they could not confiscate them.
The edge is soft, and very easy to sharpen.
The gardeners sharpen theirs every time they come, just before they start working. Used to take down spent banana trees, Coconut palm fronds ( leaves? branches?) and to chop off thicker branches in the hedge.
I agree, a hard edge is not easy to field sharpen. I have never carried dedicated tools to sharpen but usedwhat is available around me.
The edge is soft, and very easy to sharpen.
The gardeners sharpen theirs every time they come, just before they start working. Used to take down spent banana trees, Coconut palm fronds ( leaves? branches?) and to chop off thicker branches in the hedge.
I agree, a hard edge is not easy to field sharpen. I have never carried dedicated tools to sharpen but usedwhat is available around me.
I have to say that I favour a Parang over an axe. I just find I'm more accurate with it.
Not usually felling trees but cutting back poles and underbrush, processing limbs that sorry of thing. Not going to split rounds with it usually. It's just a better tool for the job IMO.
I think you need something like spring steel for a Parang. I have a couple of big silly 01 choppers and frankly they aren't a patch on the real deal.
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Not usually felling trees but cutting back poles and underbrush, processing limbs that sorry of thing. Not going to split rounds with it usually. It's just a better tool for the job IMO.
I think you need something like spring steel for a Parang. I have a couple of big silly 01 choppers and frankly they aren't a patch on the real deal.
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with selective quenching and tempering i found o1 is just fine for choppers? id be interested to know why you find it unsuitable?
Experimenting with a new red dot trademark there?
Offering to the Gods?
I had the same thought. Poor guy took off his finger.
Is there not an urban myth that the Katana smiths quenched the blade in a body of an criminal or something?
I had the same thought. Poor guy took off his finger.
Is there not an urban myth that the Katana smiths quenched the blade in a body of an criminal or something?
Close, samurai used to test a new blade on criminals who were being executed, the idea being a good blade would slice right through a torso, ideally from the shoulder down to the opposite hip in one go...
I don't really know. A traditional Parang isn't very thick and the 01 choppers I have are all like oversized Kukri rather than a machete even. Blade thickness doesn't quite work out.
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its not finished yet, just fitted with temporary scales to test. has a 10" blade in 5mm o1, i have a couple more with 9" blades in 4mm o1 as well
with selective quenching and tempering i found o1 is just fine for choppers? id be interested to know why you find it unsuitable?
yes can be used but I wouldnt for a parang or a machete I use 52100 for my Kukuris (as I dont use O1 for anything any more haven't for years )
My Parangs where designed for the UK Military for hard use in jungle training so have to be as tough as possible so i picked a steel to do this it dosnt need or want very high hardness so they are initially Treated to 55Rc I have this done in Salt bathes which means i can have a quench held at the correct temperature to promote Lower banite formation through out the entire blank this is for only 30mins ( Full bainite would take a few hrs)
Bainite gives a much tougher Blade for the same hardness than martensite which is what we all mostly use and get from normal quench I dont get the full benefit but time is cost prohibitive it still gives a toughness lift of 10-15% over straight martensite ( all my 75Cr1 and 52100 Blades are Hted like this the 52100s to 59Rc mostly )
3.7mm Bushcraft style not had the temper drawn in any way jsut as done to 59Rc all through
[video=youtube_share;twUJkqOa_K0]https://youtu.be/twUJkqOa_K0[/video]
then the the Handle and spine is properly Drawn on temper just leaving the 3/4" back from the edge at the original 55Rc (still a little harder than a Local bought native parang .. the natives who tested it with SERE teams wanted the steels and HT )
[video=youtube_share;-dpb-SxEdd0]https://youtu.be/-dpb-SxEdd0[/video]
the drawing on you Khuk above if thats all you have done wont really do much its minimal and only in the area of the widest parts of the blade. The weakest point there is the narrow part at the Sharpening notch and the finger Choil
its relatively short and Solid so should be fine for chopping I havent drawn my Khukris even the 14" blade one as its banite and 8mm stock at that narrow point most native ones are 8 to 12mm spines
parangs are thinner 5mm ish and longer Mine only has a 7"-8" cutting edge but a long neck and handle so plenty of F=MA when a Big Squaddie is bashing a solid tropical hardwood tree
Machette is longer and thinner steel again and more flexible and Hted even softer high 40s to low 50s sharpen often I use CS80 for that
three differnt Blades that do different jobs in different style jungles
What i do is probably over kill for 99% of peoples use but I dont want the 1% to have a problem when Fighting in the jungle they have enough to worry about
